Monday, February 28, 2011

Easy Caesar Salad

Here is a quick,easy salad recipe.The dressing is a Martha Stewart recipe,and it is very tasty.It does call for anchovies,but if you do not like them,the dressing still works without them.I have decided to use anchovy paste instead.For this recipe,I have also added homemade croutons.I usually use foccaccia,but you really can use any type of fresh baked bread you like. Here is what you will need:
2 heads of romaine lettuce,chopped
parmesan cheese(grated or peeled off the rind using a veggie peeler)
Dressing Ingredients:
2 cloves of garlic
4 anchovy fillets(I used 1 tsp. ofanchovy paste)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp. dijon mustard
1/3 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. mayonnaise(for creamier dressing,can be left out if desired)

Using a fork,mash the salt & garlic cloves (and anchovies,if using) into a paste.Place in a small bowl,and whisk in pepper,lemon juice,mustard,worcestershire sauce,and mayonnaise.Slowly,whisk in olive oil.

Croutons:
Foccaccia ,cut into cubes
olive oil
salt & pepper to taste

Spread the bread cubes on a sheet pan,and drizzle with a little olive oil.Sprinkle with salt & pepper.Bake at 350 for about 10 minutes.Croutons should be golden.These can be stored in an airtight
container for up to 2 days.
To assemble the salad,place the chopped romaine in a large bowl.Drizzle with the dressing,and add the croutons and parmesan.Toss and enjoy!